New Life
by Marina StormFire
Summary: Sequel to "New Beginnings" This story includes Rogue's past and a few more or les mysteries that will come about.
1. Remember

New Life  
By: Marina StormFire  
X-Men: Evolution songfic

Summary: Sequel to "New Beginnings"... This story includes Rogue's past and a few more or less mysteries that will come about.

Disclaimer: I don't own ANYTHING… I ain't sayin' it again for the rest of the story.

_Thoughts, dream sequence, flashbacks, or mindscape-speech_  
"regular speech"  
**/**_**thoughts in a dream sequence/**_

* * *

Chapter 1: Remember

Everyone was silent on the long walk back to New Orleans proper, until Rogue broke it.

"By th' way, where are the x-men?"

Hazard chuckled darkly. "When y' said t' keep th' x-men off your tail-end, we took tha' literally and say, _misdirected_ them into a different direction. We used your bag t' leave a scent trail for 'em t' follow back t' the train yard. So hopefully, we got rid of 'em for now, until y'r ready t' face 'em ag'in."

Rogue nodded, the minute she was settled, she'd have a letter hand-delivered to the Institute to let them know that she was okay and she could be contacted by email and her cellphone was still available, but she needed some time away from them for a while. With a sigh, she started mentally going over what she would need to do to settle in and whatnot.

Suddenly, she was feeling tired and worn out and didn't realize that she'd dozed off while she was walking, until she tripped and felt the clamoring of psyches in her skull, that she tried to jolt herself completely awake, but only succeeded in cradling her head in her hands—falling to her knees, groaning. She felt calloused, but gentle hands touch her arms… felt a solid body near hers, holding her close, smelt the comforting smell of cigarette smoke and cajun spices. Just barely managing to open her eyes a little, she found Hawkeye kneeling in front of her… could feel his gloved hand on her shoulder. "Get Buddha… can't keep them back…" was all she was able to manage before everything went black.

Remy kept his eyes on Rogue, as their back-up fell into a semi-protective circle. She looked paler than usual… and tired. what he saw next was the grimace on her perfect full lips and when she tripped—falling to her knees, saw that she was holding her head in pain. _'Gotta be de psyches…'_ he thought to himself, as he brought an arm around her body to hold her close. He lifted his head and saw Hawkeye rush in and lay a gloved hand on her near bare shoulder. Her sweet southern voice made him look at her again, heard her ask for someone called "Buddha" and that she couldn't _"keep them back"_. He felt her go limp in his arms and looked to Hawkeye, who met his eyes.

Hawkeye sighed. This was one eventful night. Standing, he glanced at Jean-Luc then at Marina, Windy, Shifter, and Hazard, and finally shifted his gaze back to Gambit on the ground—gently cradling the younger girl. He looked at Marina. "Marina, get Buddha as fast as ya c'n. Rogue is gonna need his help real soon." He turned his attention back to Gambit. "Y'r gonna have'ta make sure dem Assassins don' come afta the lot o' ya. I'll scout f'om de sky and make sure that ya'll get back t' y'r place safe an' sound."

At everyone's acknowledging nod, they continued on their way. Marina dove into the bayou waters and created a bubble around herself as she used her power over water to make it the docks of New Orleans long before the others. She found some of the others of their group with spare civilian clothes. After putting on those dry clothes, she went to find Buddha to bring him to the Thieves' Guild Manor to tend to Rogue.

Hawkeye shifted into a raven form and scouted ahead, and saw the remaining three mutants, space themselves out in a semi-circle around Gambit, Rogue, and Jean-Luc—on full alert for Assassins.

Jean-Luc was unsure as to who these others were, but was aware that they were mutants that knew this one _fille_ that his adopted son had eyes for; This _fille_ that he could swear that he recognized from somewhere before. He was gonna have to do a little bit of research before deciding what to do next. He sighed; apparently his son was gettin' himself into a whole mess of trouble. Glancing at his son, who carried the unconscious girl tenderly in his arms, he wondered just how deep his son's feelings ran for her.

Remy saw his adopted father's look, and understood it. "Don' say it, Jean-Luc. I care f'r her mor' den I do f'r Bella. 's only gonna make up mor' _problèmes_ den we really wan' or need."

The older man scowled. The boy was just too selfish to think clearly. It was in the Guild's best interest that his son and the Princess of Assassins were wed… and soon. So why didn't Remy see that?

As if Remy could read his mind, he turned a full-force glare at the man that raised him. "We won' talk 'bout dat right here o' now. We c'n discuss dis latah." And kept walking, feeling something overwhelming overcome his own empathic abilities… feelings of pain, anger, and fear. Focusing on the girl in his arms, he realized that the psyches were trying to get control of her mind and body. At that moment, Rogue's face contorted, showing how much pain she was going through and gave out a strangled moan and then a pained whimper.

Hazard and Shifter exchanged glances. They had heard that several weeks ago, Rogue had lost control over the psyches in her head and had started shifting into those forms that she'd absorbed. It was a likely possibility that it was going to happen again, if she didn't get help fast. They kept an eye on their friend and an eye on their surroundings as they made it to motorboat that they'd stashed a little ways away from the destination.

Windy got in first and started the engine, turning to the others, she said, "Get in, unless ya wanna get y'rselves caught bah Assassins. Frankly, I'd prefer not to go up ag'inst 'em ag'in." Hazard got in next then Jean-Luc. Shifter followed, before turning to help Gambit in, with Rogue in his arms. As soon as everyone was settled, Windy looked up to make sure that everyone was settled before guiding the boat back through the bayou swampland to the docks of New Orleans.

An hour later, they reached the docks, where they saw two groups of people waiting for them, both standing a short distance apart. The remainder of the trip back to the Big Easy, Remy kept his arms firmly, but gently around the fragile and unconscious girl. He knew that something was going to happen soon if they get her help. Looking up and seeing his _frère_- Henri at the edge of the docks with his wife, Mercy, and their cousin, Emil Lapin.

As soon as the boat pulled up to the side of the docks, a tall, dark-skinned, and muscular man reached down to Remy. "Hand her to me, she can get the help she needs, before those psyches in her head start fighting for control."

Remy felt concern for the girl in his arms, and didn't know how to act on it. But reluctantly handed her up to the older man, and then climbed up to the dock not far behind Jean-Luc. The unknown older man turned slightly with Rogue in his arms, and glanced at Gambit from over his shoulder.

"Once she's been calmed down, Hawkeye will find you and let you know how she is. And then the two of you can discuss whatnot and such." Without bothering to acknowledge Remy, the mysterious man turned and walked away.

He watched the man walk away with Rogue in his arms, unable to speak and unable to ask what he meant when he said that _'the psyches in her head start fighting for control'_. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turned and saw the blue-haired _fille_ called "Windy".

"We'll let'cha know what's goin' on wit' her, soon. Don' look f'r us, we'll fin' y'. Th' Dragons al'ays do." With a last squeeze on his shoulder, she followed her associates. And Remy was left with his _famille_ by the docks.

He felt another hand on his shoulder, and found his _belle-soeur_ there. "If dey say dat dey'll fin' us, Remy, den dey'll fin' us. Th' Dragon's have some territory on da northern part o' da Quarter and a bit o' th' business district." The young blonde beauty told him, as she got him to turn away from the retreating backs of these 'Dragons.'

Remy looked at his brother's wife. "Who are dese _Dragons_, Mercy?" he asked, as he and his _famille_ walked back to their Guild manor. It wasn't Mercy, who answered, but his brother.

"Dey're part o' an underground informant group. Pére was t'inkin' o' makin' some kind o' agreement wit' 'em dat we'd be able t' use deir informant's system if we 'ad a need t'." Henri explained, as they reached the French Quarter, and turned down the street toward their home.

Remy was silent as he digested the information. Questions started popping up. What did they have to do with Rogue? How did she get mixed up with them? Did their guild laws apply to them or did they have their own set of laws that they lived by? As soon as those questions came to mind, many more popped up. What was it she said about them?

'… _the informants know ev'rythin' tha' goes on in any given majah city. Here, they prob'ly know ev'rythin' tha' goes on in y'r Thieves' Guild.'_

He started hitting his head against a mental table, but felt exhaustion catching up to him, and hoped that Rogue was going to be alright and hope that they could talk about these informants more. The remainder of the walk home was silent, as it was late, and there were still some stragglers in the streets. Not much longer than half an hour later, they made it to their guild manor without incident and headed toward his old room, until he was stopped by his adopted father's voice.

"Remy…"

The card-player glanced at the older man over his shoulder and waited for the next words to come.

"We'll talk more about this in the morning." Jean-Luc told him, when he saw the boy stop and glance at him over his shoulder.

"_Oui_, we'll talk later. Until then, I'll say _bon nuit_." And disappeared down the hall and behind his bedroom door, where he proceeded to get himself ready for bed by changing from his fighting uniform to a pair of grey sweatpants and decided against wearing a shirt, due to the humidity of the night air.

/MEANWHILE/

'_**Who am ah? Where am ah? What is this place?'** a soft southern voice echoed around the dark cavern. There were whispers around her, overwhelming her with malicious intent, making her curl into herself to protect herself from the overwhelming feel of immense anger, intense hatred… so much negative energies swirling in the air like an angry hurricane._

_A semblance of a whisper reached her ears. Rogue._

_Rogue? Was that her name? Who was she? Where did she come from? Did she have a family? Questions popped up from every corner of the girl's mind, until she saw a semblance of motion from in front of her. Lifting her head from her hands, she saw a form step out of the shadows; a familiar figure, looking like… herself. It was herself as she wished she was, had her mutation not forced her to push everyone else away from her. _

_The figure walked slowly up to her and held out her hands and waited for her to take them. Shaking her head, she was horrified at the thought, and backed away hurriedly. But the form only knelt down and grabbed her ungloved hands…_

Green eyes flashed open, as she jackknifed into an upright sitting position. Shaking her head to clear it of cobwebs, the girl looked around her. It looked like she was laid out on the couch in what appeared to be the living room of a flat, the sun shining brightly through the cream colored curtains. Groaning, the girl brought up a hand to her head. _'What in the hell happened?'_ she wondered, and recalled the last thing she did. The rescue of Gambit's adoptive father; and that face… she could swear that she'd seen that face somewhere before… it was a vague memory. She tried to think of where she'd seen that face before. Then a semblance of memory came to her.

/Flashback/

"_Who's this, mama?" a 7-year-old girl-child asked, her green eyes confused, as she held a picture of an older man in his late 20's, early 30's. With dark hair and a suave grin, he looked like the type to charm any and all women to flock to his side._

_A gentle woman's voice with a musical quality answered, as a soft hand brushed aside white bangs into a clip. "This 's a very dear friend of mahne. His name's Jean-Luc. He'll help y' fahnd y'r Uncle Val, Aunt Heather, an' Damien." _

"_But, mama, how do ah fahnd him?"_

_The woman shook her head. "Jus' keep y'r eyes open f'r him. He's y'r godfat'er. If he fahnds y' firs', he'll recognahze ya. He knows what'cha look lahke."_

/End Flashback/

The memory of the picture of the man came back to her in a rush. _'Jean-Luc… mama's dear friend… and mah godfat'er… aftah all this tahme…'_ she didn't have time to finish that thought when she felt someone enter the room. She looked up and saw a man in his late 40's smile gently at her and held out a glass of what looked suspiciously like sweet tea; she gave him a small grin back and took it from him.

"Hello, Buddha." She greeted, as the older man handed her the glass.

"It's been a long while, Anna. Ya nearly lost yaself among th' psyches. Ah thought ah taught ya better th'n that." The older man admonished, as he sat himself in a leather armchair across from her.

Rogue grimaced. Since she left Baton Rouge, several years ago, she'd practiced the manipulation of her mindscape less and less… until she'd forgotten to do them regularly. Looking at the older man across from her, she gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry, Buddha… but aftah ev'rythin' happenin' ovah th' years… ah've been practicin' less an' less. Ah'm gonna hafta start from th' beginnin' to exert some kin'a control ovah mah mutation."

Buddha nodded. He'd thought as much. But he could sense less clutter in her mind, as if she was keeping back the psyches within herself back with sheer willpower. _'Impressive… but still not good enough ta gain control of her own power.'_ He thought to himself, as he studied the teen goth girl before him; his student before that blue-skinned shape-shifter took her away from them—her foster family. She was no longer the 7-year-old that his youngest brother Mason, had taken in when she had lost her way to get to the ferry to cross the Mississippi River. And though they'd only had her for two years before that woman came along, Anna was –surprisingly- a fast learner, and hopefully, that hadn't changed over the years.

Gone was the pudgy faced and slightly chubby 7-year-old, who had long two-toned hair of silk chocolate and snow-white tresses, wore long-sleeved plaid blue shirt under black overalls with embroidered roses and rose vines that twined around her pant-legs, and blooming roses on her overalls pocket that was over her chest; and now before him stood a young adolescent on the cusp of womanhood, who was now sporting an athletic and lean build, her hair cut short to chin-length, and wearing dark make-up. The change was considerable.

Rogue looked around to get a better view of her surroundings. With a 25 in. full-screen television to her immediate left, a small wooden rectangular coffee-table in front of her and another loveseat adjacent to her right. Everything was dark-themed. She groaned, feeling a headache coming on. "What the _hell_ is going on?" she asked, rubbing her temples with both hands.

Buddha lightly used his telepathy to sense what the psyches were doing, and frowned. Apparently they were breaking free from their temporary prisons, and then all hell was going to break loose. He stood and walked around the coffee table and sat on the coffee table and took Rogue's hands.

"Anna." He called softly, and when he got no answer, he used his teachers' voice. "Anna. Look at me."

Rogue slowly looked up, her eyes shifting from one eye color to the next. Going from emerald green to silver-blue, to brown, to red-on-black, to golden-yellow, to chocolate brown, to soft blue, to near black, to apple green, to sunshine-yellow, to other various colors; she groaned and closed her eyes, trying to push them back.

Buddha took her hands and closed his own eyes and linked himself to her mind. And was hit with something that felt more like a sledgehammer; anger, hatred, fear, and pain. _'Gods' above… what did that woman DO to ya?'_ He thought to himself, furious at what that shape-shifter did to his foster-niece. He saw Anna curl into herself, she could obviously feel the emotions coming from these psyches- Enough to want to believe that she was cursed with nightmares and other people wandering through her own mind and having to constantly fight back; it had to have left her exhausted and constantly angry.

Mentally, he grasped her shoulders, and saw that her eyes were bright with pain. _"Will ya let meh help ya, Anna? Let meh help ya fight them and help ya control y'r mutation?"_ He asked, keeping his eyes on hers, he was relieved when she nodded, as she set her jaw and her eyes became full of raw determination and solid stubbornness. He smiled, and turned both their attention to the oncoming psyches that were approaching with malicious intent… even as their anger and hatred attacked them first.

Rogue, felt fear invade her very being, but knew without a shadow of a doubt that Buddha would help her. _"Anna…"_ the sound of her name made her look up at her mentor. _"do ya remember the Lightening Techniques that Dozer and Crimzon taught ya while ya were wit' us?"_ the older man asked, and Rogue remembered clearly the technique that she learned. She could also see where Buddha was going. She nodded. This would give her an edge over all those that she had absorbed in the past. It would also help that it was her mind to manipulate as she would.

Closing her eyes, she pictured a setting that would be fitting for her mindscape's psychic-battle against her –proverbial- inner demons. What better way to perfect and hone her fighting techniques, then the Institutes Danger Room? She grinned, as the ground and walls appeared to take on the Danger Room's characteristics.

Buddha looked down at his student and stepped back to see how she would do. In this place that was clearly real in her memory, he would help her suppress these ghosts that haunted his troubled student.

Then they came… Mystique and Sabertooth at the front, with Wolverine not far behind, his claws unsheathed; Rogue closed her eyes and waited. Being a natural dancer with fast reflexes helped her against these first three opponents. She ducked and dodged, looking for an opening. Ducking Mystique's high-jump roundhouse kick to the head, she felt Sabertooth and Wolverine coming at her from behind. Almost immediately, while Mystique was in the air, Rogue straightened from the duck, and palmed Mystique in the stomach- to which the blue-skinned woman didn't get up again, and immediately afterward went into a dive-n-roll, making Sabertooth and Wolverine club heads… and hilariously enough, turned them against each other- just as they would in the real world. Circling the two animalistic and vicious psyches in her head, she came up behind Sabertooth and gave him a double hit to his shoulder blades with the heel of her palms and then a quick chop to his neck felled him.

She quickly dodged a feral Wolverine and felt the ground beneath her feet shake and dodged to the right when a red encased fist came down on top of where she was previously… and smashed Wolverine into the ground, when he landed in her previous position. With Wolverine down for the count, she now had to deal with Juggernaut and countless others. So far she had little to no help from Buddha. But with Juggernaut, that would count as a need for help there. She ducked, and spun in a low swinging kick, when she felt the fast pattering of feet come from her left, and succeeded in tripping the Speed Demon called Quicksilver, who fell in the way of Juggernaut's oncoming fist, which sent him back into the solid steel wall of the Danger Room… knocking him unconscious. Standing, she ducked under his bowling ball-sized fists and flipped herself onto his shoulders to undo the four latches on the helmet.

She had just undone the third latch when- out of the corner of her peripheral vision, she saw a flash of red and then, on looking up, saw both those heavy fists come down and she quickly flipped herself off his shoulders; only to get hit in the back of the head –lightly- upon landing, by a metal bo-staff.

Not quite out for the count, Rogue fell to her knees, but looked up, surprised to feel calm emanating from the ever-familiar form in front of her. Too surprised to speak, she saw him extend a hand down to her… never in her life did she expect to have a psyche-ally at her side to help her fight her proverbial inner demons.

"_Need a hand dere, chere?"_ a suave voice asked, his red-on-black eyes locking on her own emerald green.

"_Gambit?"_ Rogue asked, breathless… already she was exhausted, and she had yet to face the x-men and the other four members of the Brotherhood.

The psyche of Gambit gave Rogue his trademark cocky grin and when she warily gave him one of her hands, he pulled her up and glanced over the girl's head at the crowd that was now running in to attack.

Rogue cringed at exactly WHO made-up that mental mob.

Cyclops had a hand to his visor ready to release his optic blasts; Jean was levitating beside him, with what looked like murder written on her usually gentle face; Spyke was loading his bone spikes and already firing; Rhane was in wolf-form and snarling viciously, ready to tear her limb from limb; Sam, Bobby, and Ray were also there and ready to take her down. And though, there was hardly anything that Kitty and Kurt could do that would be damaging to her, she knew that she couldn't hurt them either. She'd have to use her head to try and beat them back.

Storm and Beast were placed in-between the original six x-men and the younger generation… but coming in fiercely.

Not far behind the X-Men, was the brotherhood, with Lance in the lead followed closely by Toad, Blob, Boom-Boom, and the Scarlet Witch. Magneto flew alongside them.

So much hate… so much anger… fear… pain… and rage.

Rogue fell to her knees once more and curled in on herself, the Gambit-psyche and Buddha closed in on Rogue getting ready to face them and protect the girl, who's body these psyches were fighting over.

Suddenly, Rogue's head slowly shot up, and as if in slow motion, the mental crowd seemed to slow down… down to a stop. Surprisingly, they did stop… mere feet from them… and it seemed like all eyes were on the girl before them.

The air turned tense… like just before a nasty storm hits. And then her eyes shot open- revealing fiery bright green eyes that blazed with fury, and an ominous wind seemed to shove the still mob back several feet.

"_Enough o' this."_ Was the calm southern drawl of the girl before the rampaging psyches. The psyches froze upon seeing the unholy rage that was worse than their own… a hidden anger and pain that was being reflected back at them, and they seemed to shrink back… but there was something else that they could ultimately sense… an underlying threat… a threat to their own existence in this girl's head that was their prison for all time.

Even the Gambit-psyche actually looked down at the girl and realized what she was planning on doing if things didn't cool down here and now… and really fast. It was a last bluff… the last thing she should be thinking of. And honestly, it frightened him… just as it frightened the other psyches in this girl's head.

As a single unit, everyone took a few steps back. Buddha and the Gambit-psyche remained next to the girl, as she stood up from her fallen position. _"None o' ya'll will evah use mah body as y'r own. Th' onlah way t' get it, is ovah mah dead body… y' wan' it… we come to an agreement."_ She said, her voice cold and sounding unmerciful… and hard as steel. The psyches just stood there… just waiting. Rogue gave them a cold glare, feeding them what they had fed to her all this time since her powers manifested. And then the Jean-psyche stepped cautiously forward.

"_What do you want from us?"_ the red-headed psyche asked, as Rogue focused her attention on the red-headed telepath-psyche, and after a moment's hesitation, answered.

"_Ya'll still want to exist?"_ she asked, as she sat down psyches nodded in unison. Glancing at Buddha, who nodded a silent agreement to something unknown to all the gathered psyches assembled; Rogue closed her eyes and the mindscape scenery changed, revealing a forest and open spaces behind the psyches and behind Rogue and her two companions, was a three-story mansion, which looked eerily like Xavier's Institute … which looked to have enough rooms in it to hold all the psyches that had been absorbed. And the gates to the mansion had iron-wrought dragons binding the two sides of the gate together.

When she finally opened her eyes, they were a silver-green, and she was barring their way to the building. _"Here's th' deal, ya'll. Ev'rybody behaves, they get a place up at tha' mansion behin' meh. Ya' don' behave, ya get completely wiped. Got it?"_

All the psyches looked at each other, unsure as to agree or not. But a particular number including, Shadowcat, Nightcrawler, Mystique, Storm, Rhane, and Gambit, walked up to the gates… which didn't open, yet. Rogue kept her eyes on those that had yet to accept her ultimatum. Eventually, all but Sabertooth were at the gates, which now opened to them all… and in which, THEN Sabertooth tried to pass, he found himself frozen in place.

Rogue shook her head and spoke to him. _"I nevah reallah cared ta have y'r particular psyche in mah head. So ah won't have any qualms in havin' ya removed permanently."_

With Sabertooth unable to defend himself or even attack, he growled menacingly. Buddha closed his eyes and focused on Sabertooth's entire psyche and wiped the psyche from existence, leaving no trace of the psyche anywhere to pop out and threaten those that now resided in Rogue's mental home for her inner demons.

The psyches had watched what had happened to Sabertooth, and thought it best to behave themselves and try not to fight amongst themselves and cause the girl to wipe the lot of them from her mind. Apparently, this telepath that was in her mind, had the strongest ability to wipe a psyche completely from existence… apart from one Charles Xavier.

They quietly headed inside the mansion and found that the inside was exactly like the inside of the institute, with a grand staircase leading to the upperstories from the foyer; to the left of the staircase, was the living room, library, and games' room; and to the right, was leading to the kitchen, dining room and an elevator that led to the lower levels. Everyone headed upstairs to choose their rooms, where later, Rogue would help them 'decorate' their rooms from their memories.

Sighing, Rogue closed her eyes and focused on waking in the living world. She tiredly opened her green eyes to see that the cream curtains had been drawn, and saw that it was nearing dawn. How long had this taken? Several hours it seemed, but it had seemed like it had only taken a matter of an hour to talk and give the psyches an ultimatum that they didn't have much of a choice but to accept. It was HER mind after all that was being affected… and SHE was the one to show THEM who was boss.

'_Gambit… no, REMY, was right,'_ the girl thought to herself, as she threw an arm over her eyes. _'one way or anothah.. I gotta show 'em who's boss.'_ Oddly enough, she felt like her mind had less clutter strewn around. Like it was… cleaner, her mind was more organized and manageable. There was yet any kind of evidence that she had any control that she may have, but it could wait. She remembered that she and Remy had yet to talk about her friends that were in the Dragons.

She looked around room that she found she was still in, and found Buddha fast asleep in his comfy armchair. Apparently, he'd briefly awakened just enough to get to his armchair and fall asleep. Falling back asleep she dreamed of when she was first found and taken in by Dozer and his wife, called Mirage.

/Dreamscape/

_A young 7-year-old girl wandered through a small town. She was tired, scared, and afraid to go back to the abusive home that her mother told her to escape while she could. She hadn't slept in a while, only running, running, and more running. Trying to find her way to the ferry that crossed the Mississippi River to find her godfather… and find her brother. _

_It had been several days of barely anything to eat and only sleeping under a park's jungle gym or under some low hanging trees or brush. She missed her mother so much and hoped that someday they'd see each other again. _

_Aimlessly she wandered the sidewalks of this unknown small town, with her little hoodie over her head, and re-shouldered her duffle. She had no idea where she was, and stopped near a park to rest. Letting her bag drop next to the bench, she took off her hoodie and lay that on top of her bag… going to the water fountain for a drink of fresh cold water. No telling how much longer she could go on like this… slowly walking back to the park bench where she left her duffle and hoodie, she found a couple sitting on that bench with a young boy and a slightly younger girl- both older than she was, with them._

_Quietly skirting around the family, she quickly picked up her duffle and hoodie, and ran off for the park trail… unaware that she'd peaked the family's curiosity about her. They sent the older girl after the unknown young girl into the park's natural reserve._

_Little Anna ran, knowing someone was following, dodging around bushes and trees, and even crossing a decent sized stream. She'd had this sixth sense of somebody watching her since she was real little and just starting to understand the world around her, as well as knowing when danger was looming nearby… a sense of colors—when everything was alright was a green color or downright wrong was danger red. Only a couple years ago, did one her mother's brothers, while visiting, found out of this sense, he called it an Approximity Sense, which was rare in young children and even fewer adults. He started teaching her to use it effectively. Surprisingly, she remembered everything he taught her, and even took her and her siblings on camping trips for a couple weeks to teach them wilderness survival and how to find one's way using the stars as their guide… and even how to disguise your scent when you didn't want to be tracked down by anybody with a heightened sense of smell, such as a dog._

_She kept running, until she came across a rocky ridge, and started to climb. She didn't dare look over her shoulder, should she find her follower, but kept climbing until she got to the top, and ran to a young pine tree, and started climbing it's small, but strong and sturdy limbs to a decent height… staying up there, until she saw the older girl from the park run right under the tree and looking around and continue running, looking for her quarry._

_The small girl wasn't sure how long she was in that tree, but exhaustion overtook her, and dozing lightly on the tree branch, kept a firm hold on the branch above her… and slipped into a dreamless sleep… unaware of a few adults below, quietly debating about how to get her down without making her panic and become afraid of them._

_Later, when she'd woken up, it was in a strange house with a homey feeling. She was lying on a comfortable leather sofa with a lap blanket covering her. Sitting up, she wondered where in the world she was, when the older boy that she saw at the park came in with what looked like a glass of some beverage. But she felt like he wouldn't harm her._

"_Hey there," he said, and said down on the coffee table next to her, and held out the glass. "here. Mah mama said tha' you'd be a li'l worn out an' tired. so we ought ta leave ya be and let'cha sleep ya'self out." She could only shake her head… not wanting to be seen as a pity case._

"_Where am I?" she asked, willing strength into her voice, rebellious emerald green eyes meeting the gentle ocean-blue of the older boy's._

"_Y' ain't too far from the Mississippi River. Small town called *Silver Sky County; Real picturesque. Some meadows on the outskirts of town, but real purty; an' right bahy bayou country, too." He said, as he gently took her small hand in his and pressed the cold glass to it, she instinctively brought her other hand up to grasp it fully, but hesitated in drinking the cold liquid. The boy grinned and encouraged her. "I's a'righ', ya know. Ain't nobahdy gonna hurt ya none. Promise, 'kay?"_

_She silently nodded and took a small sip and was surprised to find it was oh so sweet raspberry sweet tea. It reminded her of her older sister's homemade raspberry sweet tea. She felt tears come to her eyes at the memory of her older siblings. She wanted to be home with them._

_She closed her eyes and just let the tears fall. She wasn't aware of when the boy made a startled noise, or when he took the glass from her or even when he sat on the edge of the sofa and just held her as she cried._

_She didn't know how long she'd been there crying or when other people came in and seeing her cry. She didn't care anymore… she just wanted her broken family… not so broken anymore. She wasn't sure when it was but eventually she fell asleep. Murmured whispers were all around her, then strong arms lifted her and carried her to who knew where… but that question was soon apparent, when she felt the softness of a mattress beneath her._

_Firm, but gentle hands took off her shoes and her clothes were changed into somewhat big pajamas. And then nothing but blissful darkness led her back to the world of dreams._

_When she'd awakened the next day, it was to unfamiliar surroundings, but then a strange woman had come in with a tray filled with breakfast foods. Homemade grits, hash browns, scrambled eggs over toast, biscuits that were drowning in sausage gravy, and glass of orange juice. The woman had given her a kind smile and introduced herself as Kyla Mazumi… codenamed Mirage. Young Anna found out that the boy from the afternoon before was her son, Caine, and that it was her husband- Mason (or Mace, as he preferred to be called) and codenamed Bull-dozer, who had carried her to- what appeared to be a guest room._

_The room was decorated in purples, blues, and greens, as well as printed with dragonflies and all kinds of birds that you'd find in bayou country… created something of a misty dawn effect. It soon became her own room that she stayed in, giving herself time in which to get help to cross the big Mississippi River to get to New Orleans to find her godfather… and her big brother, Damien._

_No matter how much she tried to leave, she found herself constantly looking across the Mississippi longingly… hoping that someday, she would find her older brothers and sisters. She started learning what this new family was teaching her… how to pick locks, fix and hot-wire vehicles, pickpocket, how to fight, and basically, all-in-all, she learned how to survive. She made several friends and lived like a real child should live… until a year had passed, and she was walking home from school with some friends, when her foster family's worst enemies jumped them._

_Fortunately, one of them had already awakened their mutant gene and could generate invisible shields of any given size that were pretty much indestructible. It kept their attackers at bay until help could come. _

_But still their attackers came at the young elementary school kids, the invisible shield seemingly getting a bit weaker each time it was hit with something heavy. Not more than another moment's thought went by when help did come and their attackers were driven off, did the shield go down and then did the unexpected happen… Young Anna swayed on her feet, seeing and smelling blood triggered something in the back of her mind… something her mother told her two years before she was told to run away. _

_**/Memory/**_

_**6-year-old Anna's mother traced the contours of her youngest daughter's face lovingly, though her beautiful hazel-blue eyes were glazed, as they always were whenever she looked to the future. When her eyes finally opened again, they were filled with sadness, but also hope contained within them too. **_

"_**Mah little Anna… your future is troubling. Your mutant power will awake, but it will force y' t' push others away. You will neveh beh able t' touch others skin-t'-skin. T' touch them would beh t' hurt them."**_

_**Anna stared at her mother, her sister was holding her from behind. "Why, mama?" but only saw her mother shake her head. **_

"_**Ah don't know. Gods knows ah wish ah knew, but ah don'. All ah C'N do is warn ya, blood is what will triggah y'r blessing and curse into being. An' beh wary of th' shape-shiftin' strangah, who will use y' f'r her own gains."**_

_**/End Memory/**_

_Snapping her bright green eyes wide open, she saw someone reach out to steady her… reaching out to grasp her bare arm… Panicking, she fell backward. "DON' TOUCH MEH!" the words came out harsh, but her eyes and face told all how panicked and afraid she was. Another person came in front of her…. The man who was like a real father to her… Mace; he knelt in front of her and told her that everything was gonna be okay. But she could only shake her head and chanted over and over again, as tears spilled over. "Don' touch meh… don' touch meh…" the words caused confusion, until finally, one of her friends- Austin, she was vaguely aware, had taken his windbreaker off and draped it over her thin shoulders, and helped her up to her own feet, letting her lean on him._

_She heard him murmur what she assumed to be reassurances that everything was going to be okay. Anna wasn't so sure of anything anymore, as she stared at her hands. She could no longer touch anyone anymore. Being 8-years-old, she had to tell someone of her mother's vision. She would be wary of a female shape-shifter, just like her mother told her to be._

/End Dreamscape/

Slowly waking up, but feeling her head was somewhat in a foggy state, she squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to wake up, but knew that she'd have to. There was no way she was going to go back to Mystique at all… or even Irene for that matter. They stole her from the family that should've had the chance to adopt her and keep her safe. This place that she was in now was her home… with the people she should've grown up with.

* * *

A/N: Bonjour! I hope everyone enjoyed "New Beginnings"… though, I'm debating about starting the whole thing from "episode 23: Walk on the Wild Side" or maybe "episode 38: Self-Possessed"…

Send in any PMs or Reviews on what you guys an' gals think of the idea.

*means it's fictional. Doesn't exist… only a figment of my imagination.

And another thing… the OC-Mutants are part of a made-up organization (in my mind) called the Dragons. Sounds like a gang-name, right? It's only a front to them. They're actually an underground group of informants.

Okay, I know everyone is at least a LITTLE curious as to who and what my OC-Mutants can do. Here's a bit to know 'bout 'em:

Name: Austin Carson  
Codename: Hawkeye  
Ability: Shifting into any and all bird-forms. While in that form he also has a telepathic link to get in contact with others.  
Major fear(s): cats of any kind.  
Uniform: Black bodysuit that shapes itself to him when he shifts to a bird form, taking on the feathered design of said bird.

Name: Marissa Valeton  
Codename: Marina  
Ability: controls water  
Major fear(s): earthquakes  
Uniform: Ocean-blue bodysuit (similar to a surfer's bodysuit) with neon blue stripes running down her arms and around her waist. Has a blue dragon design wrap around her left leg. Navy blue 4 in high-heeled boots and black fingerless gloves.

Name: Valerie Green  
Codename: Windy  
Ability: controls wind  
Major fear(s): water… (can't/unable to bring herself to learn how to swim)  
Uniform: Silver bodysuit with yellow stripes down her arms, sides, and legs. Wears black 2½ in heeled knee-high boots. No gloves.

Name: Casey Haller  
Codename: Hazard  
Ability: able to make the smallest object into a weapon  
Major fear(s): flying and sharks  
Uniform: Baggy black combat-pants, tan tank top, black combat vest with multiple front pockets, and neon green vertical stripes. Black combat boots

Name: Rick Mason  
Codename: Shifter  
Ability: similar power to Mystique, except he can only shift into animal forms.  
Major fear(s): bats  
Uniform: Evergreen Combat bodysuit with neon green stripes on the wrists, waist, and ankles that shapes itself to him when he shifts forms.

Name: Mason Payton  
Codename: Bulldozer ('Dozer' for short)  
Ability: able to lift several tons of weight. (the closest I can get to describing him is like a human wrecking ball… or something)  
Major fear(s): black-widow spiders  
Uniform: Navy blue and evergreen plaid button down shirt, winter cargos, black combat boots.

Name: Nathan Payton  
Codename: Buddha  
Ability: telepathy, also has a major calming effect on those around him.  
Major fears: flying  
Uniform: Plain navy blue long-sleeved casual shirt with horizontal neon sea-green stripes, black jeans, and black combat boots.

French-English Translations:

_Fille_- girl  
_Problèmes_- problems  
_Frère_- brother  
_Belle-soeur_- sister-in-law  
_Bon nuit_- good night


	2. Truth About Family

New Life  
By: Marina StormFire  
X-Men: Evolution

Disclaimer: Look back at Chapter 1 for the official disclaimer for this story. I'm not repeating again.

_Thoughts or dream sequence, flashbacks, or mindscape-speech  
_"regular speech"  
/**thoughts in a dream sequence**/

* * *

Chapter 2: The Truth about Family

Remy LeBeau lay awake in the early hours of the morning, staring at the white of his ceiling… wondering how Rogue was doing, and how she would answer his questions. And truthfully, there were so many questions that needed answering. Questions that maybe, even the x-men, didn't know… (at all) about her. As he closed his eyes, his thoughts went out to her, when they first met at the shipyard by the ocean… when he first caught sight of her beautiful emerald eyes… and _Dieu_ what a figure she had, scratch that, STILL had.

Closing his eyes, he groaned. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before and there was no way he was going to get ANY sleep at all. He wondered where she was staying and if her _associates_ meant it when they said that he wouldn't have to find them, and that they'd find him instead, when Rogue woke.

Getting up, he walked over to his balcony that overlooked the courtyard below, and looked up at the dawning sky of blues, purples, pinks, and yellows, each color brightening with every passing moment. Closing his eyes, he tilted his face up to the semi-warmth of the sunlight that was just coming up over the horizon. His mind wandered back to Rogue… and wondered what she'd look like in the light of the early morning. He roughly shook his head and wandered back to the relative safety of his own room, walking back over to his bed, he tried going back to sleep… which eventually overcame him and he in which he dreamt of nothing… and yet of everything—with Rogue. Groaning, he got up once more and went to his private bathroom to see if a shower would do him some good.

15 minutes later, he came out with a towel around his waist and wandered over to his dresser for clean boxers, jeans, and t-shirt. Quickly dressing, he grabbed his pack of cigarettes and headed back out to his balcony again. And once more, he wondered previous questions and then some. He hoped to get answers soon.

Looking around, Rogue saw Buddha asleep in the armchair across from her and found that a lap-blanket had been draped over her as she slept. She felt lightheaded, but somehow, when she thought about it, she could –somehow- distinguish her own memories from those that she'd absorbed in the past. She closed her eyes… and thought back to her earliest memories… of playing in the river with her mother nearby to watch over her; picnics with her family on the shores of the Great Mississippi River, watching the riverboats pass by- always waving at the passengers; and exploring the bayou in their own backyard with Damien, his twin brother- Tyler, and Zoey.

What she wouldn't give to see their faces again… her older siblings. She remembered what her mother's face looked like, vividly: Long strawberry-auburn hair that reached to her lithe figure's waist; hazel-blue eyes that were sometimes as blue as the sky on a bright sunny day; she had a swimmer's athletic build, even after being pregnant 3 times, her mother had a beautiful smile that would make even the darkest night fade away to the brightness of daylight.

Her older twin brothers- Damien and Tyler… too much alike with very little differences to tell them apart. With a scar running right through his left eyebrow, Tyler always said that it added a devilish charm to him. Both of them were tall for the age of 10 before they were separated to live with other relatives, with blue-green eyes that sparked with mischief, and dark chocolate colored hair that was always untamed. Both seemed to live for the moment, the adventure, and the trouble that always seemed to follow in their wake.

And her older sister, Zoey- always caring and always empathetic, she shared her own emerald green eye color, sharing their older brother's dark hair color, and somewhat short stature; she had always been someone that Rogue could always turn to, whenever she was troubled or just needed some sisterly advice.

Opening her green eyes once more, she quietly moved the lap-blanket off and got herself up from the sofa, of which she had slept on, and went toward the direction she knew the kitchen would be in to get some coffee—if there was any to be had. If there wasn't, she'd just make some up.

She groaned when there wasn't any made up and got down to the business of getting coffee made up and then went to make up some breakfast, making as little noise as possible, even though she knew that Buddha was a very heavy sleeper. Soon, she had made up scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and pancakes for breakfast and was setting the breakfast table... and not a moment too soon, for as soon as she had the breakfast dishes set on the table, she heard the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. Probably following their noses to the breakfast table; the first ones down the stairs was an olive-skinned older boy about 19, with dirty blonde untamed hair, and –at the moment, sleepy green eyes, which opened with surprise when they caught sight of her doing up the dishes that she used to make breakfast.

Four other sets of eyes widened in surprise; an older man with dark hair in the same untamed style as the boy's and was wearing a dark blue bathrobe. The other three that entered were women following the older man and younger boy, the oldest of them had dirty blonde hair that was pulled back in a messy ponytail, her bangs fly-away, and cat-green eyes that were clearly signs that she was the teen boy's mother. The older girl looked about 18 with tanned skin and an Asian face, her black hair tightly French braided, her blue eyes sparkling with hidden mischief and curiosity. The youngest of them was about 14 or 15 years old with dark hair and blue eyes that were sleepy and slightly surprised at the newcomer in the kitchen.

Rogue smiled at the family slightly. "Mornin'." She said, as she poured herself a cup of coffee and put in some cream and sugar. The older boy blinked several times before he finally rubbed them and focused on her again. "Anna? You're really here?" he asked, bewildered. He hadn't been awake when she'd been brought in… and apparently, the others didn't know when she'd been brought in either.

"Hello t' y' too, Caine." She said teasingly, as she leaned against the counter and took a sip of her coffee.

Caine gave out a shout of joy and rushed her, just as Rogue set her coffee-cup down, and let Caine wrap her in a big hug, lifting her off her feet, but careful not to let her skin touch his. Rogue laughed. She never thought she'd see this family again.

The older man put his arm around the older woman, who looked to be on the verge of tears, as Caine spun Rogue around before setting her down. They both watched the older teen girl approach Rogue and embrace her like a long lost sister, as she exclaimed, "Ah can' believe you're reallah back!"

Rogue pulled back, to look up slightly at the older girl only a year older than herself. "I's good t' see ya too, Zeph." Rogue replied, backing up slightly, and turned her emerald gaze to the younger teen, as said girl took a cautious step forward, wary. Rogue looked carefully at the younger girl. The last time Rogue had seen her was when she had dropped the girl off at a nearby preschool before heading on to the elementary school… it was the day that Mystique had taken her away.

"Kyra… Lands, how ya grew up." Rogue whispered, just loud enough that the younger girl threw off all caution and her face brightened and she smiled widely, throwing her pajama-covered arms around Rogue's neck, crying "sissy" all the while, as Rogue wrapped her younger foster sister into a tight hug, careful not to touch her skin. After a while, Kyra finally got hold of herself and stepped back, wiping tears from her face, and after giving one last sniffle, she said simply- her voice cracking, "You're home."

Rogue looked at the younger girl, and smiled sadly. "Yeah… ah'm home… for now." She said, as she watched the expression on Kyra's face go from happy to disappointed. "You're goin' away ag'in?" the girl asked, looking like she was going to cry all over again. Rogue shook her head. "There was a reason ah came back, Kyra. But if ah DO go away, I's not gonna beh a permanent stay-away. Ah'll come back now an' then… check in wit' ev'rybody. How's tha' sound?"

Kyra seemed to think about it for a moment, then nodded. "Havin' ya visit is bettah than' not havin' ya 'round at all. I's okay bah meh." She smiled again, and went to her place at the table and waited for everyone to be seated.

Rogue chuckled, and faced her foster parents. Mason and Kyla Payton… she owed them so much for taking her in nearly a decade ago. The older woman—Kyla, stepped away from her husband's hold and tentatively reached out to touch Rogue's cheek with her bare fingers. Rogue wasn't sure why she wasn't moving away from her foster mother… it was like something deep inside of her was waiting to be set free from the cage it was in. what it was, Rogue wasn't sure, but whatever it was, was sure to help her change her life.

Closing her deep emerald-green eyes, Rouge waited for those fingers to touch her cheek… uncertain as she was, she also anticipated what the touch would feel like after all these years. Cool fingers finally touched her cheek. When her powers didn't act up, tears welled in the goth girl's eyes. She opened her eyes and the tears now streamed down her cheeks.

Kyla knew how much this meant to little Anna… to be able to finally touch once more. The older woman gathered Anna into her arms and let her cry, even as the girl held onto her as if for dear life, letting loose all her pent up fears and emotions.

The older man—Mason, watched his wife comfort Anna. The little girl he remembered having taught nature's survival skills, taught her to fix and/or hotwire any vehicle and many other useful tricks that she may need to know to get by as an underground informant. That little girl came back to them nearly a full-grown woman, and he was glad… for two reasons.

One was because his family was happy and two was because he'd caught a sinister rumour on the grapevine that he needed to let her know. This rumour was supported by Foresight's visions… and they were never wrong. And though it would take some time to look into, it would take a lot of guts to go looking into something that could potentially kill you if you were found out. And as far as he knew- if Anna's training still held, she could potentially be the best one for this particular mission.

Smiling softly, he concentrated on the present and pushed back anything remotely unsavory- saving it for a later date. "Welcome back, Anna." He said, as Kyla released the young teenage goth, who'd just managed to calm herself down and wipe her tears from her face. She smiled at her foster father. "Ah'm back, Mace."

He nodded to her and gave her a quick hug and kissed her forehead before releasing her. "C'mon then, Short stuff. 'M hungry an' could eat 'nough fo' an army." He said teasingly. Rogue… no, ANNA, laughed, and went to take her seat at the dining table, only now noticing Buddha already seated and giving her that knowing look that said he already knew that this was already rapidly changing her entire outlook on life… changing her perspective on everything and everyone around her.

Anna suspected that they had been keeping tabs on her for a while—when they found her that is. When that was she wasn't sure, but she'd find out soon enough. But concentrated on her foster family and her breakfast; It was these people that had truly saved her life—NOT Mystique. Shoving away thoughts of the shapeshifter, she told them of the life she had built for herself in New York with the x-men. And how up until now, she had felt wanted and cared for… but soon turned to fear and everyone seemingly to keep away from her or smothering her with concern. She told them how she had felt like a danger around them and a liability… and that because of her, Apocalypse had been set free. The x-men no longer wanted her around where she'd endanger so many other mutant lives and had felt betrayed by those, who she had at one time, felt like they were the only ones to care about her as a person and not as some kind of weapon against others… and those that she had at one time called friends.

She answered all their questions about the x-men; instructors and students alike; her first impressions of them when they first met, and what each of them was like as she got to know them.

In return, Mace and Kyla filled her in on the happenings over the years… going from the latest gossips on the streets which came from street gangs and other informants to the missions that had been accomplished to the latest news around the world from other contacts. Afterwards, there was silence as they ate their breakfast, until Buddha finally spoke after a long uncomfortable silence. "Anna, at this particular moment in time, I don't think anyone can blame ya for your current state of mind. You're blamin' yourself for somethin' that wasn't ya fault. You've been used and thrown away like yesterday's garbage so many times, it don't surprise me that you've held off trustin' anyone anymore."

Anna felt like she was going to break down and cry right there. From the very first day that she'd met these people, they had accepted her among them. And even after her powers had manifested, they didn't shy away from her out of fear, but they didn't let her forget how to enjoy the simple touches… even though it couldn't be skin-to-skin contact. They refused to keep her at arm's-length… always hugging her, tugging at her shirt-sleeves, or even daring to go so far as to kiss her forehead good-night; they made her feel like she had a family right there. She could relax among them and be herself… and now that she could touch after so long… she could finally reciprocate those same familial feelings.

Swallowing passed the lump in her throat, she smiled at these people that were like her family after she'd left her own nearly a decade before. Later, when she was rested—she would have a message hand delivered to the Institute to let them know that she was alright and that when the time came to face Apocalypse, if ever, she would help in whatever way she could; and after sending that she would seek out one Remy LeBeau out in the town, and give him the answers to his questions… even the blunt unsavory facts of her childhood home life with her parents.

Though she wondered briefly for a moment, if his health was alright or if he was busy worrying himself to death about whether SHE was going to be alright. It was a nice thought, but she seriously doubted it. Sooner or later, she would find out in person one of these days, and then she'd know for sure. But for now, she would rest up and wait to pay a visit to him… and possibly her godfather as well. Quickly, finishing her breakfast, she made arrangements and plans with her foster family—starting with meditation and mind shielding with Buddha, weapons & thieves training with Caine afterwards, Informant drills with Mace, tactics & strategy planning with Kyla, and finally- to her utmost horror- a shopping expedition with Zephyr and Kyra to finish the day off. With the day's plans made, she quickly wrote a letter to the Institute and hoped that they would listen to her.

After her letter was written and sent off with a messenger, she also snagged Windy and asked her to have a messenger sent to the Thieves' Guild Manor to ask for permission to drop by the next day. After those two things were tended to, her long day began. She, the patriarch of the Thieves' Guild, and the Thieves' Guild's resident Prince of Thieves needed to have a nice long talk… and the sooner they talked, the better.

/With Remy/  
Morning dawned bright, clear, and with a cool wind blowing through his balcony doors, when Remy was called down to Jean-Luc's study. He groaned. He just knew what this was going to be about: Rogue… and possibly his arranged marriage to BellaDonna Bordreaux—the Assassin's Princess and Marius Bordreaux's only little girl.

Jean-Luc was standing by a window when Remy came into the study he'd known that there was something familiar about the white-striped and auburn haired girl that had helped his son rescue him from the Assassin's hold. He'd painstakingly wracked his head for some answers, which somehow led him to some old photo albums on the bottom shelf of his bookcase. Going through them, he found his answer. The girl was the daughter of his long-time oldest and dearest friend—Maria Taylor D'Ancanto- Adrian, a mutant precognitive. He remembered her last cryptic message to him nearly a decade ago.

/Flashback/

"_Jean-Luc, watch for my daughter… my Anna. Find her… you'll find your answer to your peace treaty… and alliance."_

/End Flashback/

He looked down at the photo in his hand. A picture of a beautiful woman with faded hazel-blue eyes, her thick strawberry-auburn-coloured hair was braided and hung over her olive-complexioned shoulder. Her small mouth with full lips was smiling, as her twin boys stood just behind her like sentries- giving the camera mischievous grins and had a hand on the other's shoulder and their other hand on their mother's shoulder. While Maria had an arm around two young girls in front of her; one with the same dark chocolate coloured hair as her mother but her eyes a bright apple green and sparkling with big sister adoration of her older brothers that she clearly looked up to and a hand holding her little sister's smaller hand. The younger girl was who he studied. Her hair white-striped and auburn with gold highlights was lightly curled and hung down just passed her shoulders in thick waves. Her green eyes were like bright emeralds made brighter by the bright smile her small childish mouth gave.

With her face shape and lighter-colored hair, it was plainly obvious that it was THAT child that he was supposed to have found nearly a decade ago. She was a rare child with snow-colored stripes in her hair. Instead of finding her, though, he found his son… 9-year-old Rembrandt Raoul LeBeau.

Remy watched silently, as Jean-Luc sighed and turned from the window, looking weary to the bone. "Y' wanted t' see Remy, _pére_?" the devil-eyed teen asked, and wondered what could make his adoptive father look so weary.

Jean-Luc looked at his son. "_Oui_. Have a seat, Remy. I need t' clear up some t'ings wit' ya. T'ings dat shoulda told t' ya a long time ago."

As Remy went to take a seat in front of Jean-Luc's desk, he wondered further what his adoptive father would "have t' clear up" with him. But just before Jean-Luc could open his mouth to explain what he meant, a knock sounded… seemingly coming from the window that Jean-Luc remained in front of. To both their surprise, it was the blue-haired girl from the night before that Rogue had called "Windy".

The girl grinned impudently and waved at both the older man and his teen son. Remy heard Jean-Luc sigh and unlatched the window to allow the mutant girl in. "_Oui_. _Pourquoi est_?" the question made the girl give out a sound of quiet derision. "A message from The Rogue." Was all the girl would say as she floated herself inside and over to Jean-Luc's desk, where she decided to plant herself on the corner.

Looks of surprise crossed the faces of Jean-Luc's and Remy's faces… but for two entirely different reasons: Jean-Luc was surprised at getting a message from the child of his closest friend, while Remy was surprised that –at the mention of Rogue's name- he wondered why Jean-Luc's eyes widen with recognition. Did his father know something that he didn't? Chances were, he probably did. But he, himself, would wait and see what unfolded.

"What's this Rogue's message then?" Again, the snort of derision, and a sneer on the blue-haired girl's rather pretty face. "No respect then, for the mutant child who could very well be Maria D'Ancanto's youngest and YOUR godchild?" Jean-Luc's eyes closed his eyes wearily and walked over to his desk chair to sit down—knowing that Remy was watching him curiously. Probably wondering what the connection was… or is. He sighed heavily, this was already giving himself a headache.

"_Non_, I's no' tha' I don' have respect for Maria D'Ancanto's youngest child… but i's jus' complicated matters." Was all Jean-Luc would say on the matter but he was steadily growing uncomfortable under the weight of the stern blue eyes of the blue-haired girl, which was also sparkling with hidden glee.

Remy's empathy was telling him a lot about the other mutant. She was vindictive, if she wasn't helpful—if the night before told him anything at all. But otherwise, it was his father that had him on edge. Did he know something that he didn't? He probably did. But if there was anything to go by, it was the mention of this woman… Maria D'Ancanto. He only vaguely recalled hearing the name in passing as a young boy, but had disregarded it as adult talk and had nothing to do with him and was someone only his father knew. Now he wished he knew more about this mysterious person. He turned his red-on-black gaze to the blue haired mutant and asked in his most charming and suave tone. "What's Rogue's message, _s'il vous plait_?"

Apparently, the girl had forgotten tha this son was in the room up until he'd spoken. Though, Jean-Luc couldn't tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing. The girl codenamed "Windy" turned her attention back to himself,, and after giving him a nasty sneer, turned a dazzling and a(n) (attempted?) look of seduction on to Remy, who gave his own charming cajun grin back in return.

"Rogue cordially _asks_ permission from the Thieves Guild _patriarch_," the word 'asks' came out enunciated—it seemed, for Jean-Luc's benefit and 'patriarch' came out as a sneer, even as Windy continued. "if she may call on the aforementioned patriarch _AND_ his son, the Prince of Thieves, tomorrow. She also says that all your questions will be answered tomorrow should you grant her request for an audience."

Jean-Luc closed his eyes… and imagined what his friend would say if she could see him now. She would probably be disappointed in him. He sighed and looked to Remy—unsure, but turned his attention back to Windy. "Tell her then, her request is heard and that both myself and _mon fils_ will see her tomorrow."

With an exaggerated bow and sneer in Jean-Luc's direction, Windy walked over to the open window, and flew off with Rogue's return message.

Sighing heavily, Jean-Luc leaned back into his leather desk chair, and closed his eyes. He was prompted to open them again, when he felt Remy staring at him. Sighing once again, he looked at his adopted son. "_Demandez ce qui est sur votre esprit, mon fils_." He told Remy quietly.

Remy's empathy was telling him that Jean-Luc was feeling heavy guilt… and that worried him. Jean-Luc rarely had guilty feelings for anything at all. So he started by asking the one question that he should've asked years ago. "Who is Maria D'Ancanto?" and felt another wave of guilt and some sadness wash over his adopted father.

Jean-Luc opened his eyes sadly, and replied, "Maria D'Ancanto was an old college friend of mine years ago. We stayed in touch even after she married the man—who not very many people know or realize, is Marius Bordreaux's younger half-brother." He closed his eyes and remembered with regret the argument they had on the day of her wedding to the _bâtard_.

/Flashback/  
_Jean-Luc wanted to slam something breakable against the wall in his anger. Maria was his closest friend and was like a little sister to him. He stared at her. "You shouldn't 'ave ta do this jus' because you saw it happen in your visions, 'Ria." He told her, and saw sadness in her hazel-blue eyes. _

"_It's not that ah have ta do this because o' mah visions, Luc," she tried, but was only met with his back, as he turned his back to her. "it's fo' th' Guilds. It's somethin' ah foresaw months ago. A child of mahne and one o' yours will beh th' answer ta what th' Guilds have sought, for so long. It's a sacrifice tha' ah'm makin' fo' th' best."_

_Jean-Luc started. This was the first he heard of her vision. He turned back to her, his face full of confusion. "Why does there have ta be a sacrifice, 'Ria?"_

_Maria walked up to him and laid a gentle hand on his cheek. "Sometimes, sacrifices are necessary f'r th' mos' important things t' come t' pass. Sometimes they're f'r good an' sometimes not. But this marriage into th' Assassin's Guild will help you someday. Just wait for that call from meh."_

_He didn't want to understand her cryptic words. He didn't want to see his closest and dearest friend throw away her happiness for a peace that may not even happen. "It's not likely to happen, 'Ria. Vision or no vision, I can only hope for the best to come about." He said, and without another word, he left her in the bride's room and watched his friend throw away her chance at happiness away. and then when she gave birth to her twin boys, and younger single girls… and had been present for the birth of her youngest girl, the one named Anna Lynn D'Ancanto-Adrian, Maria had asked him to be her Godfather—to which he accepted._

/End Flashback/

But then he'd received an urgent call from her 7 years later, asking him to look for her… and failed to find her and found a young 9-year-old instead and adopted the boy that would eventually become the Prince of Thieves.

Remy felt like he'd gotten himself sucker-punched. If he had heard the red-head right, then this Maria D'Ancanto was Rogue's mother, who had –apparently- married INTO the Assassin's Guild. Meaning Rogue would be blood-related to the Assassin's Guild leader as his niece, and both Julien and BellaDonna would be her cousins. Putting all these little pieces together wasn't painting a very pretty picture. But then another question popped up. "How do you fit in, aside from bein' 'er friend?"

The older man had always known that Remy was sharp—far sharper than any thief had any right to be, but maybe… maybe that was the only reason he was still alive right now. His musings were cut off when he heard the question. "She made me the Godfather of her youngest daughter… the girl you know as the Rogue." He waited for Remy's response, but saw the look on his face… as if he was having trouble believing what he was being told.

Remy was indeed trying to wrap his head around the fact that the Rogue was in fact a blood-related Assassin… but wasn't sure if she knew that she had just last night attacked her own blood relatives. But at the moment, another question made itself known. "How do Remy fit in?"

For a moment, Jean-Luc debated about telling him the truth about what happened nearly a decade ago, but decided that maybe Remy DID have a right to know the truth about the _famille._

Opening his eyes again and studied the young man that used the be the little dirty street thief that had exceptional skill in picking pockets that was now all grown-up and called the Prince of Thieves. Jean-Luc finally sighed and told him.

"It was an accident meeting ya a decade ago, Remy." He locked serious eyes on his son's. "_Trois jours avant_, I'd gotten an urgent call from Maria to look fo' her little girl on da streets. She said dat her little girl was da answer ta da Guild's peace an' alliance. _Trois jours_ of lookin' an' there was no such luck. That was when ya came inta da picture. Y' picked my pocket, an' _Je vous ai pris à l'intérieur et vous a donné une maison et la famille_." Jean-Luc was quiet after he told the story and watched Remy absorb the new information. He didn't know whether his son would take this information well or not, and hoped his reaction was a good one as opposed to an upset one.

Remy wasn't quite sure what to think… _ROGUE_ was the answer to bring peace to the Guilds? It was beyond bizarre. But thinking about what Jean-Luc had said about Maria and her visions, Remy surmised that she was a mutant precognitive. And if that was the case, then she couldn't possibly be wrong. _'Dis is somet'in' t' t'ink 'bout latah.'_ Remy thought to himself, as he shook himself from the questions and thoughts that now seemed to plague him from every corner. He looked up at the older man and finally asked, "_Qu'est-ce qui se passé maintenant, avec le marriage arrange BellaDonna_?"

Jean-Luc shook his head mournfully. "_Je ne sais pas, Remy. __Je ne sais pas_. " He glanced out toward his window and wondered what the next day would bring. But then glanced down at an orange envelope and manila folder in front of him; sliding it across the desk toward Remy, he said, "_Mais_, regardless o' what will happen den, I still need y' t' focus on a job dat needs t' get done by d' end o' th' week, _comprenez_?"

Remy sighed and focused on the envelope and manila folder with the information that he needed to get this particular job done. Looking up at his adopted father, he gave his usual cocky grin. "_Ouais. Entendu._" He said, picking up the packet and folder of information and stood to leave. When his back was turned to Jean-Luc, the older man murmured just loud enough for Remy to hear—just as the teen's hand rested on the study's door. "_Je suis desole… pur ne vous dis pas cela quand vous etiez enfant._ " The aforementioned teen glanced slightly at his adopted father over his shoulder.

"_Je sais, mon pére… je sais vous etes._ " he finally said, opening the study door, and closing it quietly behind him… knowing that his adopted father truly was sorry for not telling him the solid facts of his adoption when he was younger. His empathy told him flat out that Jean-Luc was regretting some of his past decisions. Remy shook his head and let those thoughts fly away. Yes, he had deserved to know all this time… but now, knowing what he knew now… maybe there was a chance of being together with his Rogue. Glancing down at the orange envelope and manila folder briefly, he sighed heavily. _'But fo' now, Remy c'n t'ink o' all dat later an' better get dis job over wit'… befo' somet'in' else 'appens.'_ And went back to his room to look over the solo job information, willing all other thoughts of Rogue to disappear for the time being until the next time he saw her.

* * *

A/N: Bonjour, Mes Amis! I hope you've enjoyed the story thus far. I am working as fast as I can in updating… but it would seem that my dear younger siblings will not let me work at all on the stories… .;;; SO… I'm asking for a little bit of patience on all reader's parts to be a tad patient with me and I will have the next chapter up ASAP.

And plz don't forget to R&R!

~Marina~

Here's a few more OC-mutants to know of:

Name: Kyla Mazumi-Payton  
Codename: Mirage  
Ability: creating hallucinations or mirages… images that aren't really there.  
Major Fear(s): Heights  
Uniform: black bodysuit with vertical magenta stripes along the sides, black utility belt around her waist, and black thick-soled knee-high boots

Name: Jace Carlson  
Codename: Foresight  
Ability: Precognitive  
Major Fear(s): Death  
Uniform: well-worn black jeans, dark blue and black plaid button down shirt (sleeves rolled up to his elbow), and tan hiking-boots.

Name: Maria Tayler D'Ancanto—Anna's (aka Rogue) mother  
Codename: Mystery  
Ability: Precognitive  
Major Fear(s): for the well-being of her children  
Uniform: N/A  
Casual dress: dark blue blouse, black jeans, white tennis shoes  
Accessories worn: black feathered earrings, several thin blue, green, and purple bracelets, and a single purple-feather pendant on a silver chain as a necklace.

Damien Terry D'Ancanto—Anna's eldest brother  
Codename: Speaker  
Ability: able to speak to animals and has a telepathic rapport with them  
Major Fear(s): gators and sharks… water predators  
Uniform: N/A  
Casual dress: Grey and black plaid short sleeved button down shirt, dark blue jeans, and black boots  
Accessories worn: two thin silver earrings in his left ear and a single ring through his right brow

Tyler Logan D'Ancanto—Damien's younger twin brother  
Codename: Shadow  
Ability: able to hide anyone and/or anything  
Major Fear(s): cliff-jumping  
Uniform: N/A  
Casual dress: plain dark green t-shirt, well-worn blue jeans, and thick-soled white sneakers  
Accessories worn: single brown woven leather bracelet on his right wrist, a black wrist band on his left wrist, and both ears pierced three times

Zoey Monica D'Ancanto—younger than Damien and Tyler but older than Anna  
Codename: Siren  
Ability: using her voice- through singing, to lure in her intended target like a moth to the flame  
Major Fear(s): Sabertooth  
Uniform: N/A  
Casual dress: cream-gold halter-top, low boot-cut capris with silk bamboo-patterned hemming, and thick-soled black and magenta tennis shoes  
Accessories worn: double pierced ears- usually wearing different colored hoop earrings, magenta and black wrist-bands, and a single black woven leather bracelet on her left wrist.

French-English Translations:

___pére-_ father  
_Oui_- Yes  
_Oui_. _Pourquoi est_- Yes. What is it?  
_Non_- No  
_S'il vous plait_- please  
___Demandez ce qui est sur votre esprit, mon fils._- Ask what's on your mind, my son  
_famille_- family  
_trois jours avant_- three days prior  
_trois jours_- three days  
_Je vous ai pris à l'intérieur et vous a donné une maison et la famille_- I took you in and gave you a home and family  
_Qu'est-ce qui se passé maintenant, avec le marriage arrange BellaDonna_- What happens now, with the arranged marriage to BellaDonna ?  
_comprenez_?- Understand?  
_Ouais. Entendu._- Yeah. Understood  
_Je suis desole… pur ne vous dis pas cela quand vous etiez enfant._- I am sorry… for not telling you this when you were a child.  
_Je sais, mon pére… je sais vous etes._- I know, Father… I know you are.


	3. Training and Unknown Surprises

New Life  
By: Marina StormFire  
X-Men: Evolution

Disclaimer: Look back at Chapter 1 for the official disclaimer for this story. I'm not repeating again.

_Thoughts or dream sequence, flashbacks, or mindscape-speech  
_"regular speech"  
/**thoughts in a dream sequence**/

* * *

Chapter 3: Training & Unknown Surprises

Rogue was just getting done with her meditation and mind-shielding with Buddha, when there was a a quiet knock on the support-beam of the japanese-styled porch to the tranquil and peaceful rock garden. She slowly opened her eyes and glanced to the side to see Valerie Green aka Windy, grinning at her from her place on the porch leaning up against the support-beam. "Hey there, Girl. It's been a while, yeah?"

Closing her eyes in exasperation, Rogue sighed. "It hasn't been all THA' long, Val." She replied, referring to when she surprised Val earlier that morning in the training room to ask her to deliver the message over to the Thieve's Guild. Val, as she was commonly nicknamed, cocked an eyebrow.

"'_All THA' long'_, she says," the blue-haired girl mimicked laughingly, her green eyes dancing. "Anna, you've just come BACK to us after nearly TEN YEARS! And all you can say is that _'it hasn't been all THA' long.'_ You can bet you're skinny southern ass that everybody is gonna ask ya a helluva lotta questions that only YOU can answer."

When put like that, Anna couldn't refute the statement, knowing that others from her past would without a doubt asker her questions about the life that she'd ended up carving for herself, but grinned anyway, and changed the subject. "What did Jean-Luc say 'bout mah comin' fo' a visit?" Val smirked and recounted what happened earlier at Jean-Luc's study, finishing with: "and then he says that 'he and his son will see you tomorrow.'"

Anna was silent, before she finally glanced at her watch that she'd dug out of her backpack that had been delivered just after she'd finished breakfast with her foster family. Getting up, she came up with an idea. "_Grazie_, Val. How 'bout we make it a Girl's Night Out on th' town t'nahght? An' anyone who's got questions c'n get 'em answered t'nahght, instead o' havin' to hear it from somebody else."

Val brightened. "A'right then. What time should we ladies be ready by?" she asked, and Anna held up a hand to think for a moment. With everything else that she had to do today… it would be several HOURS to refresh her memory on how the Dragons worked. "How 'bout 'round 7:30 or 8 t'nahght?"

The blue-haired girl nodded her head. "We'll compromise and say 7:45 t'night and meet up at the Jackson Square Fountain, yeah?" Anna nodded. "See ya'll latah." The other girl waved and flew off to spread the word to the girls in the Dragons that Anna was back and to be ready for Girl's Night Out later that evening. Anna sighed, if she was gonna be ready for the evening then she'd best get to work, and headed toward her next lesson, or rather her next refresher course with Caine. Looking at the time, she saw it was just after 9:30, and hurried to the training room, all the while trying to remember the one lesson that Mace had begun an introduction on before Mystique came for her… Shadow walking.

The theory was that you could enter one shadow and reappear in another shadow across the room, or if you were experienced enough—miles away. But you always needed your destination at the forefront of you mind or it'd never work, as well as knowing there were shadows in the vicinity for you to appear from to start with.

Anna closed her eyes, picturing the training room that she knew Caine would be waiting for her at—knowing that there were shadows; and keeping the image of her destination at the top and forefront of her mind, turned into a darkened hallway that was rarely traveled and continued walking until she felt like the air was stuck in her lungs and she couldn't breathe. Another step later and the air that was stuck came free and she fell to her knees, coughing and gasping for breath—surprising Caine from behind.

Caine had been glancing at the entryway of the training room every so often, waiting for Anna to show up, but was startled when he heard coughing and gasping from behind him, and was surprised to see Anna there. "Anna?" he asked, as he went over to her and gave her a hand up. "what did you do?" and led her over to a bench where he had a couple water bottles for the both of them. Grabbing one of them, opened it, and handed it to her to help calm her down.

After a few minutes, she was calmed down, but was still gasping for breath. "Trahde… shadow walkin'…" and went into another coughing fit. Caine rubbed her back, but leaned back slightly to appraise his younger foster sister.

"Was this the firs' time you've tried shadow walkin', Anna?" he asked, as he continued to rub her back. She nodded confirmation and took another drink of water, while Caine gaped at her. Usually a first timer who tried shadow walking needed at least a dozen or so tries before finally succeeding. "What a way to start your trainin'." He murmured, as he watched the younger girl finally control her breathing, and then added, "not as easy as it looks, is it?"

A mirthless chuckle escaped the emerald-eyed girl, before she spoke, her voice a near-harsh rasp. "Nope. But ah don' get it. How c'n ya'll make it look so easy, Caine?" and eyed the older boy with a seriousness in her eyes.

"Honestly?" he asked, and when he saw the seriousness in her deep green eyes, and saw her nod, he sighed. "It's experience, Anna. The longer you practice shadow walking and train with the heavier weapons, you'll develop the endurance and quick reflexes that you need to think on your feet. Eventually, you'll be able to shadow walk with little to no complications."

Anna nodded, slowly digesting what she had learned so far. Caine went on when she didn't respond. "The thing that amazes me right now, is that you were able to shadow walk successfully on your first try, and your only real problem is breathing. Many who learn to shadow walk need at least a dozen or so tries before they succeed in even making it to the other side of the room—much less another room on the opposite end of the compound." And making sure he had her full attention, he continued. "Never has there been anyone to shadow walk, succeeded on their first try."

Anna's eyes widened in surprise, before she whispered, "What's tha' mean fo' meh?"

Caine smiled and replied with pride in his tone. "It means, Anna, that YOU are one-in-a-million."

She flushed a cherry-red and let that soak in. No one before her had ever succeeded on their first try? That didn't sound right. There had to have been SOMEone…

Standing up suddenly, she discarded her purple shirt, leaving her only clad in a pair of borrowed sweatpants from Zephyr and her usual black sports bra and started stretching her arms and legs. After she was stretched and the kinks were worked out, she walked further out onto the training floor and did some practice punches kicks… then fell into a routine of mixed punches, kicks, low spin-kicks, high jump kicks, high roundhouses, and axel-spin kicks.

The young man on the bench watched his foster sister go through the repetitive routine, and finally got up and discarded his own t-shirt and ducked under a roundhouse that –would've- been aimed at his head and aimed a left palm strike at her midriff only to have her block with right arm and twisted her body into an axel-spin, managing to hit his jaw with the heel of her foot knocking him onto his back—slightly winded. Watching Anna from his downed position, he watched her straighten her legs so that she was in a handstand position and bend her arms slightly to spring her body into an upright position and sliding into a fighter's stance.

Getting up, he slid into his own fighter's crouch, and before either one blinked… they fought. When Rogue executed a lightning fast punch to his jaw, Caine leaned to the side catching her arm and moved his body behind her own, twisting her arm behind. Inhaling sharply at the pain in her arm and shoulder, she used her free arm to jab him in the ribs sharply with her elbow. He let go of her and saw her move into a handstand, and moved to stop her only to feel his head snap back and seeing the semi-dark ceiling of the training room, and falling on his back—HARD. He closed his eyes in pain and groaned, even as he felt that it was hard to breathe. Lifting his head slightly, he saw her smirk at him. _'Damn… she's gotten a helluva lot better'n when we were kids.'_ He thought, as he got back up to his feet, rolling his shoulders and bounced slightly on his feet.

"Goin' all out, Snow Stripes?" he teased, as he saw her scowl at the old nickname he given her when they were young. Her only response was a cold mocking look that crossed her emerald eyes, though her face was expressionless, as she threw the first punch, before he'd even seen it coming… but barely managed to dodge it while catching her arm—twisting (again), then threw her over his shoulder, and watched as she twisted her body and landed on her feet with cat-like grace, stumbling slightly, but remaining upright without falling.

And so went their sparring session. One or the other of them would throw the first punch or kick, and the other would block or dodge the oncoming attack and retaliate with a move of their own, until someone landed a decently hard hit to the head or body, or swept out the legs out from underneath them, and landed on their fronts or backs.

After a full two and half hours of all-out hand-to-hand sparring, both, Caine and Anna, were both, scratched, bruised, winded, aching, and bitten. (Yes, I said _bitten_. At some point during their spar, Anna found herself in a position where only a dirty play was needed. Hence the biting.) And found themselves surrounded by cheering, whistling, and applauding. Looking around the slightly more lightened training room, they found that several members of the Dragons had decided to watch while they sparred.

Anna was breathing hard and felt as if she'd collapse from exhaustion. She closed her eyes and felt the faintest stirring of the power just hidden under her skin… and quite suddenly felt as if he floor was pulled out from under her, the suddenly stopped—trapped in the floor. "What the HELL!" she exclaimed in her surprise. Others around her startled at her sudden descent, but only one remained calm, and stepped forward toward the near panicking Anna.

Kneeling to her current eye-level, Buddha calmed the girl. "Anna." He said quietly, his hand smoothing back her dual-colored hair. She looked up at him, her fear shone bright in her gem-like eyes.

"What's happenin' t' meh?" She asked, panic and fear lacing her words. Something like this hadn't happened since her headache. _'Oh gawd,'_ she thought with trepidation and fear. _'what if it's happenin' ag'in ?'_

"Anna," Buddha called to her softly and quietly. "ya need t' calm down so tha' ah c'n help ya." And held out a hand to her. It was almost like that same hand from a while back… that same hand that offered trust and friendship. Even his words rang with familiarity. _'Logan…'_

Shakily, she reached out to grasp Buddha's hand in her own, even as bone claws broke free from her knuckles. Her emerald eyes widened and panic emitted from her in palpable waves. "OH GAWD!" and nearly wrenched her hand away, but Buddha's hand grasped hers firmly… comfortingly. Tears sprang to her eyes, but fought them back as she tried to calm herself down; even as she was choking back the sobs that caught in her throat.

"It's alright, Anna," the older mutant soothed, "it's alright. Trust meh t' help ya." She nodded, shaking. "Ah want ya t' think o' y'r friend, th' one who passes through walls… ah want ya t' concentrate on her powers, and trust meh t' pull ya up."

She did as she was told, feeling a few tears stream down her cheeks. She thought of Kitty and her powers—and felt herself become intangible, she gasped and held on to Buddha's hand, and felt him… and another, whom she was only vaguely cognizant of, was Caine, lift her from her prison in the floor. As soon as she was free, she shook. She didn't dare trust herself near anyone, so long as Logan's claws were protruding from her knuckles.

She felt her body was cold, her whole body was in shock, and barely heard a word around her… people asking if she was okay and wondering out loud what the hell had just happened. Feeling hands on her shoulders, she looked up into the calm face of her foster father's older brother.

"Now ah want ya t' do the same thing with the claws. Focus on the psyche o' whoever those claws belong to and concentrate on sheathin' 'em. C'n ya do that, Anna?" she gave a barely imperceptible nod and focused on the psyche she had of Logan and gradually felt the claws withdraw back beneath her skin.

Caine locked eyes with his uncle, and took Anna in his arms letting her cling to him, as he murmured soothing words to her and rubbing her arms to try and warm her body from the shock.

Buddha stood after seeing his foster niece taken care of by his nephew and faced the crowd, who gradually grew quiet when they saw he wanted their attention.

"If we c'n give Anna some room and a li'l time t' recover, ah'm sure she'd 'preciate it. She's in shock at the moment, but we'll soon find out what's goin' on as soon as she's ov'r the shock." There were murmurs of assent and some left the room, leaving their own reunion with The Rogue 'til later, while others remained behind but kept their distance and worried about the girl that had only just returned to them after a decade. They'd heard from the girl's foster father, Mace, that she was able to touch… so were these abilities they'd seen, a result of her imprinting? And if so, how were they triggered? Several other questions popped up, but no one had any answers.

Several minutes passed, and Anna had gradually calmed herself down and noticed the lack of people in the room, save for Caine, Buddha, and herself. "What's wrong wit' meh?" she asked quietly, shaking slightly and rubbing her knuckles with trepidation.

The telepath studies the dual-haired girl. She didn't appear to have any kind of outward sign of headache, compared to the night before. so with no headache to be the possible answer to this current predicament… there left a possible theory.

It was all in her head (quite literally) and all she really had to do was concentrate on a psyche that she'd imprinted and be able to channel that psyche's power or knowledge. He took her face into his gentle hands and told her quietly "NOTHING is wrong wit' ya," enunciating the first word to make her listen. "I's jus' in y'r head."

Her face flushed and gem-like eyes flashed with indignation, when she tried to make a retort, Caine squeezed her arm slightly and shushed her. Looking up at her foster brother she scowled and held her tongue. When she looked back at Buddha, instead of giving him a biting response, she asked, "What d'ya mean bah tha'?"

"Jus' as ah said. I's in y'r head. Y'r mutation is all in y'r head. Concentratin' hard enough, and y' c'n access _ANY_ ability y've ever imprinted." He elaborated, and had a proverbial epiphany. _'So THIS is why tha' shapeshifter wanted ya… THIS is what y'd become… a mutant wit' possibly unlimited potential…'_

Thinking back, the whole of the Dragons had wondered why the blue shape-shifter wanted their Anna. Back then, when the little girl told them of her mother's vision and what her mutation would do, it was clear then that with absorbing anyone, human or mutant, she'd not only gain information, but also mutant powers too. It was even more so clear NOW than before that Anna could very well be the only mutant with unlimited potential. And with that knowledge, she would have many dangerous enemies… enemies that would want her to use her powers on _THEIR_ enemies. Now _THAT_ was an unpleasant thought. The Dragon Elders needed to know this information and figure what to do without offending their (potentially) best informant. And there was no mistaking that Anna would be offended… but there was also a chance (albeit, a very_ slim_ chance) that she'd understand.

As a child, they'd realized that she had a temper and wasn't prone to obeying anyone except those that she looked up to or respected, which were only a few people at the time. And if anything, it was very possible that that little detail hadn't changed. Buddha had very little doubt that now that the young woman had control; she would now work for _complete_ control. She would NOT answer to anyone, but herself. And she would be used by no one else any longer.

Looking up at her foster brother, he only whistled and hugged her, as she felt a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth—threatening to split her face in two. There was no WAY to express her happiness and joy at hearing those words from the older telepath. Her mind was running on overdrive… but only one thing stood out clearly; a rather grim reality. She knew that there were dangerous enemies in the underground, and everyone she knew had a reputation… but once word got around in the underground of what she could do— everyone would gun for her personally to do one of two things: 1) get her to side with them or 2) kill her outright.

"Ah got some work ahead o' meh, don' ah?" she asked, and saw her foster brother and uncle nodding agreement. Sighing, she stood up and headed for the bench where she had discarded her shirt and uncapped her water bottle. Taking a drink of the semi-cool liquid, she swallowed and capped the bottle, thinking. Glancing at Caine, she voiced the question that came to her. "Is Mace's workshop where he still does the drills?"

Caine cocked his head to the side and replied slowly. "Yeeeessss…" and a thought occurred to him. "Anna, what're ya up to?" he saw her give him a sly grin, as she folded her shirt, and gripped the water bottle.

"Experimentin'… to see if earlier was a fluke o' not." and with that took a breath and disappeared in the shadows behind the bench. And as before, there was darkness and the sense of suffocation… but instead of walkin' into the noise that was Mace's workshop—she landed herself in another training room that was –thankfully- devoid of anyone and was nearby to her next refresher course. Looking down at her watch, she found that it was almost noon. Whistling despite herself, she put her shirt back on and walked the rest of the way, guzzling her water every so often to help her get her breath back… more so after that second attempt at shadow walking.

After Anna had left the training room, the older mutant glanced at his nephew, curious as to what the young woman had meant.

"Shadow walking." The older man raised an eyebrow, making Caine chuckle. "Anna's practicin' the shadow walkin' technique." Silence was the only response that the younger mutant was greeted with. When he looked at his uncle, he saw a frown on his usually calm face. "Uncle Nate? What's wrong?"

Nathan Payton didn't answer for a moment… only thought—absorbing this new tidbit. Finally, he asked, "is this th' firs' time she's tried shadow walkin'?"

Caine nodded, which surprised the older man, and sighed with resignation. "We'd best tell the Elders these new developments and get a training schedule made out for her," Nathan told his nephew in a resigned tone. "if what y' say 'bout her shadow walkin', on the firs' try no less, is true; then i's possible tha' in a month or two, three tops… she'll have mastered the technique." The younger man whistled in awe and nodded silently.

"What a way to start her training, huh, Uncle Nate?"

Nathan nodded agreement. "Truly," he agreed, as he led the way out of the training room. "in six months or even a year or two… she'll probably be—not JUST the only mutant with unlimited potential, but very possibly the only one who can PREVENT the big disasters to come, from happening."

The two of them walked toward the Northern end of the compound toward the Elders council room and thought of the premonition visions they'd gotten from Foresight…. An unwitting betrayal and massacre of the group of mutants that called themselves Morlocks; the second-coming of the ancient mutant named Apocalypse; and what seemed like the entire slaughter of the three superhero groups called the Fantastic Four, The Avengers, and the X-Men.

All three visions were the worst yet to come. But they both knew that at some point in time, they would no longer reside in the shadows, but in broad daylight, and they needed to be prepared for the repercussions (if any) when that day finally came.

/Meanwhile/

Anna was quiet, but continued with the wiring job she was doing on a motorcycle that Mace had insisted she do, as well as FULL damage repairs AND re-design on the aforementioned _SEVERELY_ damaged bike. He had told her of the visions that Jace had had, and that it had become impossible to calm the man down due to his fear of death. The poor guy even refused to sleep, afraid that he might not even wake up. She shook her head roughly and tuned back in to what Kyla had been drilling into her.

When she'd arrived, she had found BOTH Mace and Kyla there waiting for her. She guessed that someone had told them of the slight lapse in power management she'd had only moments ago… and that they had decided in drilling her on BOTH informant drills and tactics and strategy planning—at the same time.

Mace and Kyla looked at each other, so far Anna was doing far BEYOND what they had been expecting. They both knew that they'd loaded a lot of information on her plate, but she'd somehow answered ALL of their inquiries and questions on the drills they'd presented even while she worked on what would become HER baby, while she thought long and hard about the visions that Foresight had had. It was a lot to expect from her, but they would help her in any way they could.

This went on for the two and a half hours that they had her training. Her working on the bike while answering each question/inquiry alternately between Mace and Kyla. Until just before hands on the clock made it to two thirty, Zephyr and Kyra were standing there next to Mace and Kyla.

"Almos' done there, Sissy?" Kyra asked, almost bouncing on her toes and giggled like a small child when her older sister looked to jump at least two feet in the air and dropped the tire wrench she held to the ground.

Turning around with a mock glare at her little foster sister, she growled out, "Not as much as ah'd lahke t' say ah did, Kyra." Looking between the younger girl and her older foster sister, Zephyr… she sighed. She was NOT going to let them pick and choose what she went shopping for. "Y' both ain't gonna pick an' choose mah clothes now, are ya?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow in Zephyr's direction.

Zephyr tried to play it off, but failed miserably, and laughed nervously. "Ahhhh… maybe?" but before Anna could say anything, the older girl rushed on. "Can we at least give ya some suggestions on what we'd LIKE to see ya wear?"

Anna closed her eyes. These were her sisters… she had nothing to hide from them. "Fahne," she finally replied, but held up a finger to silence the squeals of delight from them. "BUT it don' mean that ah'm gonna take 'em. Got it?"

Both girls looked at each and looked back at her and nodded. Anna grabbed a rag from her workbench and cleaned her hands of the grease and dirt and threw it back on the bench. "Alrahght. Ah'm gonna head on back upstairs to get cleaned up and meet the both o' ya in th' foyer. 'Kay?"

"Aity, Sissy." Kyra said, now clearly bouncing up and down in her excitement. Zephyr nodded and smiled for the whole world to see.

"We'll see ya in th' foyer in…" she glanced at the clock and wrinkled her nose. "'bout… 45 minutes?"

The dual-toned haired girl nodded and replied in italian. "_Si… Che dovrebbe farlo._ " Grinning like loons, the two girls left the workshop at a fast walk, not wanting to make Mace mad at them. Anna looked at her foster parents who nodded at her and smiled.

"Have fun, Darlin'." Kyla said smiling and bringing Anna close to her in a motherly hug. Anna returned it.

"Ah'll trah." She said, and waved at Mace, who returned it with a slight wave of his hand and went to inspect her work on the bike. Shaking her head, she headed upstairs to clean up and meet with her foster sisters… until a shiver went down her spine, and she rolled her eyes heavenward.

"Whahy do ah have th' vaguest feelin' tha' mah day i's jus' gonna go downhill tahnahght?" she wondered to herself, but didn't realize just how right she was gonna be when night fell for the Girl's Night Out on the town.

* * *

A/N: _Bonjour mes amis_! _Joyeux Noel et Bonne Année_! Enjoyed the story so far? I hope so. Another chapter up and another one being worked on; If there are any inconsistencies that I made unintentionally… plz, someone PM me or tell me in a review. It'd be GREATLY appreciated.

I know I kinda rushed the ending part of the chapter, and for that I'm sorry, but I wanted to get this posted before Christmas.

This was originally supposed to be a Thanksgiving Chapter… but I hope I can be forgiven for the lateness. Plz R&R to all who read! ^_^

Translations:  
_Grazie_- Thank you (Italian)  
_Si, Che dovrebbe farlo_- Yes, that should do it.  
_Joyeux Noel et Bonne Année_- Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!


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